


At Home Among the Others

by steverogerstrash (theyvegotthisspellonme)



Series: Resist the Snooze [20]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28855377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theyvegotthisspellonme/pseuds/steverogerstrash
Summary: Spock first meets James Kirk in a San Francisco pet store.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Series: Resist the Snooze [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1269041
Comments: 6
Kudos: 73





	At Home Among the Others

**Author's Note:**

> the [prompt](http://colormayfade.tumblr.com/generator) for this was "pet store"  
> title appropriated from The Rainbow Fish lmao

It’s just started raining when Spock ducks into a pet store a few blocks from Golden Gate Park. His mother, distracted by someone outside, has their umbrella, though it isn’t doing either of them any good tucked inside her bag as it is. He watches her for a moment, but the man she’s talking to has stepped under the shop’s awning to continue their conversation, so Spock turns back to the riot of color that is the inside of this tiny shop. 

There are birds flying around between perches mounted towards the ceiling, and tanks of brightly colored fish along one wall. Spock is watching the way they swim when someone else starts talking.

“Whoa, you’re a Vulcan, right?” There’s a small blond boy standing to Spock’s left who is evidently more interested than Spock himself than the fish in front of them. Spock nods. 

“That’s so cool. Is this your first time in San Francisco? Why are you in San Francisco?”

“My father is the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, and often has reason to visit, as Starfleet often requests his input on diplomatic issues. This is, however, the first time I have been permitted to join him.” 

“Oh, cool. I’m Jim, by the way. That’s my Uncle Chris.” He points out the window to the man Amanda is speaking to.

“S’chn T’gai Spock. You may call me Spock.” 

“That’s such a cool name! What do you know about fish?” Jim turns his attention back to the tanks in front of them. Spock blinks for a moment, then takes the abrupt change in topic in stride. 

“Vulcan is composed largely of desert landscapes…” 

Later, when Amanda has finished her conversation with Chris Pike - it’s strange, she always thought, where you could run into an old neighbor - and the rain has stopped, and she collects Spock from inside the pet store, he mentions that he thinks he would like a fish tank for his room.

“We’ll see what we can do when we get back to ShiKahr, darling. But what about I’Chaya?” 

“Mother, I do not think I’Chaya would be offended if I were to assume the responsibility of a fish tank in addition to my responsibilities to him.” He lifts his eyebrow in that way that Amanda finds ridiculously endearing. 

“You’ll have to talk to your father about it.” 

Spock nods, looking like he’s already formulating the most logical argument to convince Sarek.

“Why the sudden interest in fish?” 

“The boy I met inside the pet store was talking about them. They seem… fascinating.” If he were human, Amanda thinks, Spock would shrug. She nods, considering.

“I had fish when I was your age. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t, but we’ll have to talk to your father before we make a decision.” 

“That is logical.” 

And that’s the end of the conversation, for now. 

(Sarek might think that having fish is a too-human expression for his son, who he would like to be the perfect Vulcan that neither of his other children became. He does not express this to Amanda, however, and Spock receives a tank with three brightly colored fish for his next birthday. As he promised, on a rainy day in San Francisco, Spock names one Jim.)

\-- 

“Spock! Can you believe that we get to make contact with a fully aquatic species?” Jim asks, looking over at Spock from his captain’s chair. He waves the PADD containing the briefing they received on Lambda Scuti VI. “This is so cool.” He mutters.

“It seemed likely that we would, eventually, encounter a species so different from either of our own.” Spock offers. He pointedly does not disagree with Jim’s assessment. 

“I know you’re right, and I also know that you’re just as excited about this as I am.” Spock just raises an eyebrow. 

“Do you guys know how I first met Spock?” Jim asks, turning to the bridge at large. Chekov and Sulu shake their heads as Nyota just grins - she’s heard the story before. 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on [tumblr](http://ceilingventclintbarton.tumblr.com)


End file.
